Oxygen lances



ENTORS H. SMITH YONAGA N m T T A 2 Sheets$heet 1 INV GE A U0 K! OXYGEN LANCES w: er ig Oxygery wafer G. H SMITH ETAL Oxygen Q /WW z Aug. 22, 1967 Filed Dec. 24, 1964 Wafer WL Aug. 22, 1967 s n- ET AL 3,337,203

OXYGEN LANCES Filed Dec. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Water 50 Oxy ygen Wafer 0x INVENTORS ORGE H. SMlTH ZUO KIYONAGA ATTORNEY GE KA United States Patent 3,337,203 OXYGEN LANCES George H. Smith, New Providence, and Kazuo Kiyonaga, Newark, N.J., assignors to Union Carbide Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 420,911 2 Claims. (Cl. 266-34) This invention relates to metallurgical lances, and more particularly to oxygen jet devices and roof jets.

This invention provides novel means for efliciently and effectively cooling the end wall of the water-cooled hollow tip of a metallurgical lance, comprising elongated ridges on and integral wtih the inner surface of such wall, which provide channels for flow of cooling water emanating from the central part of such surface. Such ridges and channels significantly extend the vital water-metal surface contact area over that of the prior art, without substantially increasing the cost of the tip.

The main object of the invention is to substantially increase the useful life of the tips of metallurgical lances.

According to the invention such object is accomplished by the use of integral ridges on the inner water-side of the end wall of the metal tip. The ridges extend generally in the desired direction of flow of the cooling water, so that the effective metal-to-water contact surface area is exceptionally large by virtue of the side walls of the channelsor valleys formed by such ridges, through which the water flows.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of a lance embodying the invention taken on line 1-1 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical cross-section of the lower end portion of the lance; and

FIGURE 4 is a view in cross-section taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3.

As shown in the drawings, the metallurgical lance comprises a tip 12 that is composed of metal, such as copper and/ or alloys thereof that may be cast, but preferably is forged. The tip comprises an end wall 14 the outer face 16 of which is substantially flat in the illustrated example, but which may be frusto-conical; and the inner surface 18 of which is substantially concave, except for a central peak 20 that is integral wtih the wall 14. Originating in said peak 20 and extending radially therefrom are a plurality of ridges 22 that also are integral with the end wall 14. Said ridges 22 curve in the same clock direction adjacent their end portions 23.

Located between such curved end portions of the ridges 22 are a plurality of posts 24 that are integral with the end wall 14, and contain oxygen discharge passages 26 that are inclined downwardly and outwardly with respect to the longitudinal central axis of the lance 10. Oxygen is fed to an oxygen inlet chamber in communication with all of such passages through a common tubular passage 28 formed by the annular space between an inner pipe 30 and an intermediate pipe 32. Nose-shaped cusps 33 and 35 are provided on the upstream as well as the downstream side of each post. The lower ends of such pipes 30 and 32 are connected to upstanding flanges 34 and 36 on a bafile or partition 37 in the form of an inwardly projecting horizontal flange 38.

3,337,203 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 tends upwardly from the end wall 14 of the tip 12. If desired. however, the partition may be made separate from the side wall. The upper rim of the wall 40 is welded at 42 to an outer pipe 44, so that a continuous tubular water outlet passage 46 is formed on the outer side of intermediate pipe 32. The annular inner edge 48 of flange 38 defines a central opening providing a cooling water inlet chamber in communication with the passage 50 inside of inner pipe 30, through which cooling water is supplied to the central portion of the inside of the tip 12.

Such cooling water flows first over the peak 20, then outwardly through the channels 52 formed by the ridges 22, between the posts, behind the posts in space 54, and finally upwardly into the common water outlet chamber through arcuate water-guide slots 56 located behind the posts 24, due to the fact that the partition 37 is otherwise impervious.

The flow of water is such that the spaces within the tip, except of the oxygen exit passage 26, are kept full of flowing water at all times. While single ridges between the posts are used in the illustrated example of the invention, substantially parallel ridges may be used to increase the effective surface-to-water contact surface areas according to the invention. In such cases the width of the channels between the tops of the ridges preferably is about in. minimum to provide self-cleaning of the channels by the water which flows therein.

In operation the lance is lowered into a furnace containing molten metal such as steel against which jets of reactive fluid, such as oxygen, from the tip are directed. This subjects the tip, and especially the end wall face to intense heat. The useful life of the tip is prolonged substantially by the invention, since the novel ridges and channels on the inner surface of the end wall act to increase materially the vital metal-to-water contact areas directly back of the end face. The heat is thus conducted efiiciently and effectively to the Water flowing in such channels by virtue of such increased surface areas in direct contact with the continuously flowing water, preventing destruction of the tip for a relatively long time. the cooling Water wetted surface area is increased at least two times over that of the prior art by the peak and ridges and/ or channels of the present invention, but may be more depending on the number and size of the latter. This invention has the advantage of more than doubling the useful life of the tips without any increase in cost, especially when the tip per se is forged.

What is claimed is:

1. An oxygen lance comprising a hollow metal tip provided with a plurality of oxygen discharge posts that are downwardly and outwardly inclined with respect to a common vertical axis, said tip having an end wall that contains such posts, a central water inlet chamber, and outer annular water outlet chamber, and an annular oxy gen inlet chamber therebetween and means for water cooling said end wall comprising an inner cooling water supply pipe connected to such water inlet chamber for continuously flowing water through the interior of the tip from a central area on the inner surface of the end wall, an outer pipe and an intermediate pipe connected to said tip to provide an oxygen supply to such oxygen inlet chamber and a water outlet passage to such water outlet chamber said inner surface of such end wall being provided with ridges which radiate from such central area and provide corresponding channels for such water, said ridges and channels acting to materially increase the surface areas in direct contact with the water, thereby substantially increasing the useful life of the tip by more efiiciently and effectively conducting heat from the end wall to the flowing water.

2. An oxygen lance as defined by claim 1 in which the tip is also provided with an annular partition surrounding such cooling Water inlet chamber and connected to said posts and the inner side of'the annular side Wall of the tip, said partition having exit slots located so that the cooling water is forced into such channels, thereby keeping the tip relatively cool especially in critical areas adjacent the outer face of said end wall, such water being discharged through the common Water outlet chamber opening to the space between said intermediate and outer pipes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,863,656 12/1958 COX. 3,201,104 8/1965 Berry 26634 JOHN F. CAMPBELL, Primary Examiner.

R. F. DROPKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN OXYGEN LANCE COMPRISING A HOLLOW METAL TIP PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF OXYGEN DISCHARGE POSTS THAT ARE DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO A COMMON VERTICAL AXIS, SAID TIP HAVING AN END WALL THAT CONTAINS SUCH POSTS, A CENTRAL WATER INLET CHAMBER, AND OUTER ANNULAR WATER OUTLET CHAMBER, AND AN ANNULAR OXYGEN INLET CHAMBER THEREBWTWEEN AND MEANS FOR WATER COOLING SAID END WALL COMPRISING AN INNER COOLING WATER SUPPLY PIPE CONNECTED TO SUCH WATER INLET CHAMBER FOR CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING WATER THROUGH THE INTERIOR OF THE TIP FROM A CENTRAL AREA ON THE INNER SURFACE O THE END WALL, AN OUTER PIPE AND AN INTERMEDIATE PIPE CONNECTED TO SAID TIP TO PROVIDE AN OXYGEN SUPPLY TO SUCH OXYGEN INLET CHAMBER AND A WATER OUTLET PASSAGE TO SUCH WATER OUTLET CHAMBER SAID INNER SURFACE OF SUCH END WALL BEING PROVIDED WITH RIDGES WHICH RADIATE FROM SUCH CENTRAL AREA AND PROVIDE CORRESPONDING CHANNELS FOR SUCH WATER, SAID RIDGES AND CHANNELS ACTING TO MATERIALLY INCREASE THE SURFACE AREAS IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE WATER, THEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASING THE USEFUL LIFE OF THE TIP BY MORE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY CONDUCTING HEAT FROM THE END WALL TO THE FLOWING WATER. 